For oil and gas drilling application, various products and additives (“chemicals”) may be added to drilling mud pumped into the wellbore. Bentonite and barite, for example, may be added to the mud to control gelling and density. Further, chemical additives may be mixed with the mud to control fluid rheology, filter cake creation, reactivity, dissolution of salt formations, etc. Lost-circulation material (LCM) may be added to manage loss of fluid in formation via fracture and large porosity. Well-strengthening material (WSM) may also be added. WSM generally includes a mix of crushed hard materiel which can be forced into a fracture to plug the fracture to prohibit additional movement of the fracture and reduce fluid loss into the fracture. Inert materials may be added to reduce wellbore friction and drag.
Such chemicals can be provided either in solid form or in liquid form. Solid chemicals can be powder or coarse products. Powder may be transferred by pneumatic conveyance; however, coarse product (such as crushed carbonate) may be difficult to transfer by pneumatic conveyance.
In some oil and gas applications, these products may be delivered to the drilling rigs in paper sacks, e.g., of about 20-25 kilograms (e.g., about 50 pounds). On location, rig workers may manually handle these sacks, cut them, and drop their content into a mud mixer. Liquid chemicals may be delivered in barrels or in gallon containers. When delivered in a barrel, a transfer pump may be used to transfer the liquid additives into the existing mud. When delivered in gallon containers, the liquid additives may be manually poured into the mud.